SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Jeanie Buss smiled as she made her way down the red carpet. She spoke to a friend on her right and a reporter on her left. The conversations halted her path.

Buss, the co-owner and president of the Los Angeles Lakers, was here at the Barker Hanger in Santa Monica for the 2018 NBA Awards. The buzz surrounding the event was bigger than last year’s, just like the NBA’s popularity itself.

Soon, though, the NBA buzz will center around Buss’ organization, which makes sense considering the history of the Lakers and lure of Los Angeles.

“It’s nice to be respected in the industry,” Buss told a group of reporters Monday afternoon, “but I think we have to earn that respect.”

Come July 1, when free agency begins, her Lakers will get their chance.

Not only is LeBron James available this summer, but Paul George is, too. The Lakers — an organization that has missed the playoffs in five consecutive years — will likely pursue both players (among other stars) with one goal in mind.

“I’d really like to be in the playoffs next year,” Buss said, “so that’s what we’re hoping for.”

NBA commissioner Adam Silver told reporters Monday he would be watching free agency play out like a fan. “But I have one other source of information that fans don’t have,” he said with a laugh. “[I get] what comes into the league office.”

Silver said he’s interested to see where James goes and what movement occurs, but he will not not paying any special attention to the Los Angeles Lakers. Buss, who took command of the Lakers in 2013 after he late father passed, obviously is.

Since Buss took over, the organization has won a mere 44 percent of its games.

Last year, amid the team’s struggle, Buss knew she needed to make a front office change, so she hired Rob Pelinka as general manager and Earvin “Magic” Johnson as president of basketball operations. Buss hoped the new front office would establish an identity for the Lakers.

She said Monday she believed it has.

“It’s a fast style. It’s about passing. It’s about sharing the ball. It’s about committing to each other as a team,” Buss said of the new identity. “It’s all about how we win basketball games on any given night.”

Whether Buss likes it or not, the Lakers’ commitment to winning has played out in the public eye.